Fox Business host Lisa "Kennedy" Montgomery suggested that "jacked" CNN anchor Chris Cuomo suffered a bout of "roid rage" during his heated confrontation with a heckler over the weekend.
A video of the moment at New York's Shelter Island, which went viral on social media, shows Cuomo using profanity and threatening a man who had called him "Fredo," a reference to a character in The Godfather.
Cuomo, an Italian American, compared the use of Fredo—whose character is the weak and stupid Corleone brother—to the N-word. The journalist is a son of former New York Governor Mario Cuomo and the younger brother of incumbent state governor Andrew Cuomo.
"I watched this video and I thought to myself, because I know that Chris Cuomo is jacked, he is in great shape, there's no doubt about it, and watching this video and watching his reaction I couldn't help but think that I was witnessing a little roid rage," Kennedy said on Tuesday night.
A 2018 profile of Cuomo by The New York Times says he is not a body-builder. In fact, he does not believe in body-building as a means of keeping fit, focusing on performance over aesthetics. Instead, Cuomo uses mixed martial arts and CrossFit to stay in shape.
"With CrossFit, I got into it years ago. I believe in functional strength. I am fascinated with middle age and performance. I do no bodybuilding. I don't believe in it. I only care about what my body can do. How it looks is of little value," Cuomo told the Times.
"The fight training is practical. It's all self-defense combative stuff. It's definitely mixed martial arts but not like M.M.A. on TV. What I'm training for are scenarios for when you're being attacked. It's how to defend yourself and your family. It's so challenging. I'm actually terrible at it. My instincts are all wrong. But it tests your mind and body at the same time."
In a statement after the Shelter Island incident, CNN said it stood by Cuomo as he faced an avalanche of criticism over his behavior, including from President Donald Trump, with whom he has clashed. Trump called Cuomo an "out of control animal."
"Chris Cuomo defended himself when he was verbally attacked with the use of an ethnic slur in an orchestrated setup. We completely support him," a spokesman for the network said.
Others, however, were supportive of Cuomo, including the Trump-supporting Fox News host Sean Hannity, who called it "harassment" and said "no person in this country should be taunted because of their political beliefs or opinions."
Cuomo tweeted: "Appreciate all the support but - truth is I should be better than the guys baiting me. This happens all the time these days. Often in front of my family. But there is a lesson: no need to add to the ugliness; I should be better than what I oppose."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Shane Croucher is a Senior Editor based in London, UK. He oversees the My Turn team. He has previously overseen ... Read more
